What Is an Accent?
Why You Can't Understand Native Speakers (and They Can't Understand Each Other!)
EXPLAINER: This week's newsletter is all about accents! You’ll find a great range of videos to watch and listen to, featuring different people speaking English from across the UK. So… a little different from our usual week, but it’s always good to have a change, yes?
But, what is an accent?
An accent is the specific way a group of people pronounces a language. It involves the sounds they use, their rhythm, and intonation (the rise and fall of their voice).
Think of it as a fingerprint for speech. 🔎꩜
It’s what makes a person from London sound different from someone from Scotland, even though they’re both speaking English.
Everyone has an accent!
A common misconception is that some people 'don't have an accent'. This isn't true. What we often mean is they have a neutral accent or a standard accent, which is an accent that is widely understood and often used in broadcasting. In the UK, this is called Received Pronunciation (RP), sometimes nicknamed "the Queen's (King’s now?) English". While it's considered a standard, it's actually only spoken by a small percentage of the population.
Watch this to help you…
A Look at UK Accents
The United Kingdom is a small country, but it has an incredible variety of accents. You can travel just 50 miles and hear a completely different one. These variations are a result of history, geography, and social factors.
The North and the South 🧭
One of the most significant divisions in UK accents is between the North and the South. People from these regions often sound very different. For instance, in many Northern accents, the "u" sound in words like "cup" or "bus" is shorter and more like the "oo" in "book" compared to the longer, more open sound in the South. A word like "bath" is another great example. In the South, it's often pronounced with a long 'a' sound (like "baaath"), while in the North, it's a shorter 'a' (like "bath").
Regional Gems 💎
Beyond the North-South divide, there are many specific accents with unique features.
Scouse (Liverpool): Known for its high-pitched and melodic quality. The "t" sound is often pronounced more like a "ch" in words.
Geordie (Newcastle): Recognisable by its unique vowel sounds. The "r" sound is often rolled.
Scottish (Scotland): There are many Scottish accents, but they often have a distinct rolling "r" sound.
Welsh (Wales): Many Welsh accents have a lilting or musical quality.
Watch this to help you…
Why Are Accents So Hard to Understand? 😩
The main challenge isn't the words themselves, but how they are pronounced. The same word can have a completely different vowel sound, a different rhythm, or even have a different stress.
BrE v AmE
Even without the regional accents, there are national differences between native English speakers.
American vs British
Look and then listen to this sentence:
"The car park is quite far, so you ought to hurry."
American:
British:
Here are a few tips to help you with the pronunciation if you want to try:
The 'r' sound is only pronounced when it's followed by a vowel sound. For example, in 'car', the 'r' isn't pronounced. But in 'hurry', it is.
The 'a' sound in 'far' and 'car' is long, like the 'a' in 'father'.
The 'o' sound in 'ought' is similar to the 'aw' in 'dawn'.
The Beauty of Accents ✨
Accents are a natural part of language and culture. They tell a story about where a person is from and are something to be celebrated, not eliminated.
The key to understanding them is exposure.
The more you listen to different accents—through movies, music, and conversations—the more your ear will adapt.
So, the next time you struggle to understand someone, don't worry! It's not your fault, it's just a different accent. Keep listening, and you'll soon be able to understand people from all corners of the UK.